Kane’s absence won’t help a team that’s scored just five times in its first three games. (You know things are bad when Jim Slater is your top goal-scorer.)

Winnipeg’s power play has been particularly dreadful, with zero goals in 13 tries. The New York Rangers are the only other team that’s yet to score with the man advantage.

Captain Andrew Ladd, who led the club with 29 goals last season, thinks the Jets have to dumb it down before they can be successful.

“We need to keep it more simple and create offense from getting pucks deep and to the net,” said Ladd.

Defenseman Mark Stuart seconds that notion: “When you’re losing, I think it’s important to play a simple game, and that’s dumping pucks in and playing physical and winning races to pucks. As you press more and try to make plays, you’re going to turn it over in the neutral zone, and that’s going to hurt you even more. I think we need to concentrate on the simple game right now until we get out of this hole.”

So if you’re looking for a freewheeling hockey game tonight, you might want to avoid Jets-Pens.